Npower fined £1.8m for 'cowboy' selling

Energy supplier Npower has been hit by a £1.8 million fine for "cowboy" doorstep misselling of gas and electricity in London.

An investigation by the regulator Ofgem found how customers were tricked into switching to Npower by a rogue sales team.

Tactics used included targeting customers with poor English or learning difficulties or the very old. Representatives also misled customers by claiming to be from "the electricity board" rather than a single company and by claiming they were not selling anything.

One salesman told new recruits: "If you're going to be very honest we can't sell anything."

A 17-strong sales team was dismissed by Npower once the scams were brought to light in a newspaper report. However, it also emerged that the German-owned company had initially failed to respond to customer complaints.

Ofgem's managing director of corporate affairs Sarah Harrison said: "This decision sends a clear message to energy suppliers that failing customers and falling short of the licence standards will lead to Ofgem action."